KRAUTWICKEL: GERMAN STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

Steps:

• Wash cabbage and cut out center stem.
• Put about 2 inches of water in a cooking pot and some salt.
• Put cabbage head upright in water, cover and steam.
• As the outer leaves become tender, remove cabbage from pot and peel off the tender leaves.
• Set leaves aside to drain.
• Return cabbage to pot and repeat until all the leaves are removed.
• Make six piles of two to three of the large outside cabbage leaves.
• Finely dice the remaining smaller cabbage leaves from the heart.
• This should give about two cups.
• Finely dice the onion.
• Add the diced cabage leaves, onion, parsley, marjoram, caraway, salt, some pepper and the eggs to the ground meat and mix well.
• Divide the meat mixture into six equal portions.
• Form each of the portions in the shape of a small meat loaf and wrap in the large cabbage leaves.
• Make sure that the meat is completely wrapped with two or three layers of cabbage leaves.
• Tie well with thread.
• Note: (Thin out the thick vein from the cabbage this way it will be easier to roll the leaves.) Melt lard in frying pan and brown, but do not burn, the Krautwickel on all sides.
• Pour fat from frying pan into a roasting pan, add Krautwickel and boiling soup stock.
• Cover.
• Place pan across two burners of the stove and simmer slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• This can also be done in the oven, however if cooked in the oven the krautwickel must be basted from time to time.
• Sprinkle lightly with pepper immediately before serving.
• Miller's German Cookbook.